


Alike

by I_Otaku



Series: Amnesty [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: AND IS DEPERATE FOR GOOD BIG BROTHER DUCK, GUESS WHO WAS ENCOURAGED IN WRITING DUCK, Gen, but its still kinda vagueish, me speculating on Jane mostly, spoilers for arc 3, spoilers for episode 14, this will quickly be dated but I dont care because I LOVE IT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 15:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15822153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Otaku/pseuds/I_Otaku
Summary: Set later after What to Say, specifically later that night.Duck gets a call. Duck makes a call.





	Alike

It’s too fucking early. It’s too fucking early for whatever’s woken him up, Minerva, or Momma, or god forbid his actual job. But he sits up with a great amount of effort, leaning towards the nightstand and grasping blindly for his vibrating phone. He flips it open, pressing it vaguely into the side of his head.

 “Yeah?” He feels like a different person, half awake and voice more gravel than audio. (He also knows he should answer the phone normally, but no. Not right now.)

“Duck? It’s Aubrey.” 

“Okay. Yeah, _Aubrey_?” His brows crease, and he feels himself wake up a little more.

“Yeah. Uh, Ned’s up.”

“Good for him.” Duck mumbles, “Shit, that fuckin’- that probably means he probably can’t drive, right?”

“Duck, it doesn’t mean he can _leave_ yet.” Aubrey laughs, a dry pretty damn sad thing, on the other end. “He- okay well- _Momma_ wants us all together. Can you get here? The Hospital?”

“Doesn’t the damn place have set visitin’ hours?” He mumbles, pressing his chin to his phone to his shoulder and standing from bed, fumbling to find clothes.

“Not for us.” Duck can hear her try to smile, again it’s just fuckin’ pitiful.

“Alright, I’ll be down there soon as I can. And uh, Hey, Aubrey?”

“Yeah?”

“You doin’ okay?” 

“Yeah- I talked with Momma. I feel a bit better.”

“I can get you more coffee if you need it.” Duck says, although he knows what he means. Aubrey seems to get it too, she hums into the receiver as Duck pulls on his belt. 

“See you when you get here.” Aubrey says, and the line goes dead.

Duck pulls the phone from his shoulder, squinting at the time display, 2:13. He mumbles to himself, actually getting dressed and running his hand over Fig’s back as he passes. (“Sorry baby, yeah, I know. I’ll be back soon. Don’t throw up on my desk again.” He murmurs, rubbing the wrinkles and creases of her skin.) He stops just briefly in the mirror, checking his hair before shrugging at the reflection and taking off.

 

He’s real lucky his old station wagon still runs as good as it does, and the streets are empty at an hour like this. A red light seems to take half an hour as he waits to pull into the hospital. It’s quiet and empty. Duck wants to be in bed. He parks, inside the nurse’s station someone tells him to go to bed (god he wants to-) and apologetically tells him Ned’s room number when he says ‘Edmund danger discretion Chicane’ knowing full well it’s horseshit.

The lights are on low, casting out from the bottom of the door into the darkened hallway. He knocks, and when Momma opens the door he gives a close lipped smile. 

“Glad you could make it Duck,” She says, gesturing him in. Duck doesn’t reply, he finds the nearest empty chair and hauls himself into it.

Momma starts talking again, in all honesty he pretty much zones most of the gobbledygook out. Kepler this, Pine Guard that, he doesn’t hear anything really until Ned talks.

“And, this could damage the forest _how_?” Ned says, a few notches too loud to be ignored.

“Mm?” Duck mumbles, sitting up in his chair, “Wait, what‘re you sayin’?”

“Good call Ned,” Aubrey says patting Ned’s bed (Duck thinks he sees Ned flinch), “Duck it’s important.”

“I know, I’m listenin’ I’m listenin’.” He says, leaning forward.

Momma sighs and starts talking again. “We don’t know much about this new abomin- _bom-bom_.” She corrects, looking over at Aubrey. The kid nods theatrically, “Sounds like it’s snow based? Ned you were drivin’ when you experienced it?”

“Yes, yes I was. It was- like a snowstorm had manifested at the very center of my beloved lincoln. There and extremely powerful- but just like that, it was gone.” His voice is as _effervescent_ as ever, but he’s still as he talks. It’s kinda creepy, Ned usually swings his arms and knocks down anythin’ within half a mile. But he seems, muted. Maybe it’s the exhaustion. Maybe it’s the sterile overpowering white of the hospital. Maybe it’s the fact Duck hasn’t gotten a full nights sleep since the week started.

“Alright, I’ll dig back through the records with Barclay back at Amnesty,” Momma says, “Duck, Aubrey, how you two doin’?”

“Managing.” Aubrey says, and it hits something deep in Duck’s chest. His hand grabs at the pocket with his phone in it.

“And I’m fine, I was the one in the actual buildin’ and I made out best.” He murmurs. His fingers trace the shape of his phone.

“Well, after callin’ you out here I guess it coulda waited until mornin’.” Momma says to herself, “Y’all know anythin’ about the bom-bom? Anythin’ at all.”

“It- looked kinda like some bipedal monster with like, snow hiking gear? I don’t know it wasn’t just the storm if that makes sense?” Aubrey’s gesturing with her hands in Ned’s place, she describes basically what they all saw.

“An’ I didn’t get a real clear line a sight on it. I got my, I got my vision- well this time I didn’t get much from it.” Duck says, he gives a few vague hand gestures of his own this time, running down the piss poor vision. One way or another it devolves into Duck and Aubrey making hand gestures at each other, when Aubrey turns around Ned is just waggling his finger at the two of them (“I said no masticating ghosts anywhere aside from the cryptonomica!” “Wrong verb there Ned.” “No, I’m gonna slurp 'n chew some slimer ectoplasm!” “I don’t think our sylvan guests would appreciate that Aubrey.”)

Momma sighs, and rubs at her face. “Alright, keep your phones on, and ear to the ground. Eye peeled. Antenna up.”

“Sweet, so can I get goin’? I gotta be in the shower in like, three hours. I have a real actual job unlike these jokers.” Duck says, standing up. He knows it feels fast, but he has things to do.

Momma waves him off, she walks over to Aubrey and Ned in the bed as Duck leaves.

 

He doesn’t make it all the way to his car, he pulls his phone from his pocket in the lobby and frantically dials a number he had memorized lifetimes ago. His phone bill is gonna be crazy this season, but-

“Hello?” She says, Duck holding his phone in his hands and clutching it like a lifeline.

“Hey Jane,” He says, blissed to hear her voice. “How- How you doin’?” 

“Managing,” She says, Duck can hear her laugh quietly on the other end and he can’t control the smile that appears. “But pretty well! What’s up? Well I guess, how are you doing?”

“I’m- I’m fine Jane. I missed you is all.”

“I miss you too Duck, why are you calling so late? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. A friend of mine, well a coworker got sent to the hospital, I was checkin’ up on him.” He thinks each word carefully, Jane can read right through him if he even stutters.

“Oh no, it wasn’t a bear was it? It wasn’t Juno was it?” She’s always so kind, so selfless.

“No _goofus_ , it was a _guy._ Juno overlaps her shift with me tomorrow, I can tell her hi if you’d like. It- it wasn’t a bear either. It was actually- well it’s hard to explain. He had climbed up, uh, up a tree. And he was holdin’ a match- no, that’d catch the pine needles- or if it was deciduous the leave’s’d be gone this time of year, they wouldn’t hold him up anyway- so- no- rewind- he was actually _falling_ -”

“You can never lie _dingus_ , but _besides~_ , it doesn’t really matter. Don’t worry about explaining it.” Duck sighs again, this time fondness laden with every breath, every anxious foot tap, every step in his now slowing pacing. “Why’d you really call me at,” He hears her shuffle, “two am?”

“It’s only a two hour difference… And I uh, I met a girl. She reminds me of you.” He says, scratching at his head. “And I’m an adult, I’m allowed to stay up however late I please.” He feels the exhaustion pulling at his bones, the ache in his eyes. But her voice is just so comforting.

“What’s she like?”

“Oof, spitfire of a thing this one.” Duck chortles, “Punk, if that’s what the kids are calling it these days. Young, bit too Bambi in all honesty.” He passes the phone to his other ear as he takes a seat in one of the shitty lobby chairs.

Jane laughs, and Duck’s heart aches.

“Yeah, she’s just not making the best choices, that’s the part that doesn’t remind me of you.”

“One of us had to pass English class Duck,” Jane’s voice just drips comfort, and a different part of Duck flares up. “You gonna keep an eye out for her?”

“Yeah, yeah. You sure you’re doin’ alright?"

“I’m doing great Duck, I’m helping people. I’ll be back before you know it.”

That strange part of his snaps like a wire.

“Oh fuck, no, Jane that may not be the best idea.”

“What? You called me at two am to say you missed me. Besides, our biggest threat is a black bear,” Jane says, waiting for Duck to interrupt her with facts and statistics on bear attacks, on the real dangers- but he doesn’t.

 

“...Duck?”

“...Kepler’s-” he rubs his free hand across his face. “Kepler’s gettin’ weird sis. How long is your work going on?”

“Uh, we’ll be here for about half a month more. Should be back before Spring sets in. Duck, are you alright? Is something going wrong?” She’s worried, her voice is _dripping_ with worry, and the last thing he wants to do is distract her from her mission work.

“No, Jane I’m fine. I’m tough, you know it. Sturdy too.”

“You got that from Mom.” She says, voice tiny.

“Yes I did. I already told you about the buckwild shit from the water park, when we talk next time I’ll tell you about the Pizza Hut sign out for blood and the body of Leo Tarkesian.” He feels himself smile again, this time with his ever so carefully tucked away mischievous edge.

“What! You can’t just drop that bomb on me and expect me to leave it be!” She jeers.

“Gotta give you a reason to pick up next time.” Duck says, “You wanna call me next?”

She hums, “Yeah next time I get a half day I’ll give you a ring.”

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem. And Duck?”

He hums.

“I love you.”

“Love you too.” He says, “Talk to you later.”

“Talk then!”

He closes his phone over his thumb, smiling softly at the simple little machine. He’s glad she’s away, she’s safe. And at the same time, he wishes she was here. She’d be so much better at reading people, at interacting, at being dynamic ‘n all that. She’d be useful to the Pine Guard if it wasn’t the whole putting her in grave danger thing Duck remembered, feeling the spot on his head where he had hit that pole. So kinda good she can’t get caught up in this waterpark hell, or flesh beast, or… Jack Frost thing. (But that fuckin’ weird one, possessed snowman and dead body and all)

He’s not the most exciting person, he knows that damn well. A game of Settlers of Catan and half a case of beers is about as exciting as Duck can go if he’s gotta plan on his own. This, this whole pine Guard thing is... a bit much. Jane used to be a bit of spice, but now he’s got about two gallons of chili powder (Aubrey) and two of garlic powder (Ned) to add to his meat and water soup.

 

Duck stands up from his chair, cracking his back and groaning. Work tomorrow, probably should check in at Amnesty Lodge after- He’s walking out the door when a voice stops him.

“Hey, Duck?”

He turns around. It’s Aubrey, she’s hunched her shoulders and she’s lookin’ awful fuckin’ guilty.

“I uh, I overheard you talking. T-To your sister?” She adds, as if he was having more than one midnight conversation with someone in Honduras.

Duck grunts. The sliding doors are still open, Duck doesn’t move.

“I didn’t plan on listening in! Momma asked me to- she wanted me to come down here and-” She looks back over her shoulder and points down the hall, “Well okay I wanted to come out here and see if I could catch you, but that’s not the point!” She looks back at him and waves her hands.

“So?”

“I, I wanted to thank you.” She says, looking up at him.

“Yeah. Can I go now?”

Aubrey laughs, and flashes him a peace sign. “Yeah, don’t let me keep you mister forest militia man.”

“Hell, Vincent tell you about that?” Duck gives a half smile, stepping back out of the Hospital, the sliding doors still open.

“He’ll tell just about anything if you’ve got the right movies to stream!” She cups her hands around her mouth as he waves over his shoulder. Maybe opening up a little wouldn’t hurt.

 

He’s gotta keep an eye on her after all.  


**Author's Note:**

> no beta we die like men. I'm tgapa on tumblr if you wanna come cry about taz with me. Also blease have mercy we know nothing about Jane but I still wanted to write Duck being a good big brother. This is what you fools get for encouraging me in writing Duck....


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